US2761228A

US2761228A - Combination dry and steam flatirons

Info

Publication number: US2761228A
Application number: US405377A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard J Zerveck; Frank E Finlayson; Alfred G Swenson
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 1954-01-21
Filing date: 1954-01-21
Publication date: 1956-09-04
Anticipated expiration: 1973-09-04
Also published as: GB763790A

Description

Sept. 4, 1956 R. J. ZERVECK ETAL COMBINATION DRY AND STEAM FLATIRONS Filed Jan. 21, 1954 mn C O O W i s a 8 Q U P r\ w m m Mk c I ah V h wn m A F 8 by J X M Th e'm AHSOTTI e y.

COVCI'.

United States Patent COMBINATION DRY AND STEAM FLATIRONS Richard J. Zerveck, Pomona, and Frank E. Finlayson and Alfred G. Swenson, Ontario, Calit, asslgnors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application January 21 1954, Serial No. 405,377

2 Claims. (CI. 38-77) for supplying water to it whereby it may be used as a steam flatiron.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a flatiron is provided with a steam chamber in which steam is generated for steam ironing and water is supplied to the steam chamber through a water pipe to the outer end of which a water reservoir is detachably connected. In one form of the invention the water reservoir comprises a flexible self-supporting bulb. The flow path from the bulb to the steam chamber includes walls which define a water metering orifice. The water pipe is positioned at one side of the iron and sufliciently forwardly of the rear end thereof that the presence of the water reservoir does not interfere with the placing of the iron on its heel rest in the normal manner when not in use. Preferably the outlet from the bulb is normally closed by a suitable valve, such as a ball valve, which is displaced when the bulb is connected to the water pipe. Also, the bulb may be provided with an air vent at its end remote from the coupling which air vent is so located that when the bulb is attached to the flatiron it faces toward the front end of the flatiron whereby water will not leak out to it when the flatiron is upended on its heel rest. According to another embodiment of the invention, the bulb, instead of being formed of flexible material, is formed from nonflexible material such as a suitable metal. I

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of a flatiron embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view, on a larger scale than that of Figs. 1 and 2, of a part of the water holding bulb.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modification.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates the flatiron sole plate which may be heated by a suitable resistance unit embedded therein in the well-known manner. The outlineof the heating unit is indicated at 2. Attached to the soleplate by suitable means (not shown) is a' cover 3, the soleplate and cover together forming the body of the flatiron. Attached to the cover at the heel or rear end of the flatiron is handle 4. The handle, in the case of a travel flatiron, may to advantage be pivoted on the cover whereby when the flatiron is to be packed the handle may be folded down against the top surface of the Such structures are known and since a specific handle pivoting arrangement forms no part of the present invention one has been indicated only generally. In Fig. 2, 5 indicates a bracket fixed on cover 3 on which the handle is pivoted as indicated at 6. On bracket 5 is a 2,761,228 Patented Sept. 4, 1956 suitable spring latch (not shown) for holding the handle in' its up or ironing position, and which may be pressed inwardly, to release the handle to permit of the handle being folded down against the top wall of cover 3. The

ice

pivoted handle and latch arrangement indicated is that I disclosed in the application of Alfred G. Swenson,Serial No. 369,840 filed July 23, 1953, now Patent No.

2,727,322, and assigned to the same assignee as is the instant application. At its rear end cover 3 projects beyond the rear edge of the soleplate as is indicated at 8,

such projection in cooperation witha projection 9 at the rear upper end of handle 4 forming a heel rest upon which the flatiron may be upended.

In the body of the flatiron midway between its ends are walls 10 which define a steam chamber 11 to which water is supplied when the flatiron is to be used for steam ironing. Steam chamber 11 is closed by a cover plate 12 fastened in place by studs, two of which are shown at 13. In soleplate 1 at its forward end are ports 14 through which steam is discharged, against the surface being ironed, the ports at their inner ends being connected by a suitable passage 15 to steam chamber 11. i

The present invention has to do particularly with means for supplying water to steam chamber 11.

Connected to steam chamber 11 is a water supply member or pipe 20, the inner end of which is fixed in an end wall of chamber 11 as shown particularly at 21 in Fig. 1. Pipe 20 projects out through the top wall of cover 3 at one side of handle 4 and has an upwardly facing end 22. For supplying water to pipe 20 there is provided a selfsustained bulb 23 of suitable flexible material such as rubber, having a neck 24 which is adapted to be detachably connected to pipe end 22, the connection including walls which form a metering orifice for regulating the flow of water from the bulb through pipe 20 to the steam chamber. In thev present instance the detachable coupling and orifice structure comprises a cap 25 threaded over pipe end 22 provided with a metering orifice 26. On cap 25 is a threaded nipple 27. Fixed in bulb neck 24 by suitable means, such as the interengaging teeth 27a, is a sleeve 28 having a threaded outer end 29 which may be screwed over nipple 27. A ferrule 27b clamps bulb neck 24 to sleeve 28 and prevents bulb 23 from rotating on sleeve 28. The inner end of sleeve 28 is shaped to V which when sleeve 28 is connected to nipple 27 extends be facing forward.

through sleeve 28 and engages ball valve member 31 to unseat it and hold it unseated as shownin Fig.=. 2.

Bulb 23 preferably is tapered or pear-shaped, being largest at the outer end remote from neck 24 and at its upper and what may be termed. its forward edge it'is provided with a small air vent 33 for the ingress and egress of air. Pipe end 22 is so located that when the bulb is connected to it, the bulb is spaced a sufi'icient distance from the side of handle 4 so as not to interfere with the hand of the user, and sufficiently far from the rear end of the flatiron so as not to interfere with the flatiron being upended on rear projections 8 and 9. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, the bulb 23 is entirely forward: of a line extending through the heel rest projections 8 and 9, so that the flatiron may be upended on its heel rest in the normal manner.

It is important when the bulb is attached to the flat.- iron that vent 33 be facing toward the, front of the diat- 'iron so that when the flatiron is upended on projections 8 and 9 water will not leak through the vent. To this end the threaded connection between sleeve 28 and nipple 27 is so formed that when the end of the sleeve comes against the shoulder surrounding nipple 27 the vent will In other words, the shoulder surrounding nipple 27 forms a stop for the connection to insure always the correct location of vent 33 when the bulb is connected to the water tube.

Preferably a flatiron embodying the invention will be provided with an adjustable thermostat for regulating automatically the temperature of the soleplate. The thermostat and its control means has not been illustrated as such parts form no part of the present invention. However, a flatiron embodying the invention could to advantage embody also a thermostat and a control means such as that disclosed and claimed in the application of Swenson and Finlayson, Serial No. 369,841 filed July 23, 1953, now Patent No. 2,723,336 and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application.

When the flatiron is to be used for steam ironing, bulb 23 (detached from the flatiron body) is squeezed to collapse it, the neck of the bulb inserted in water, and pressure on the bulb then released topermit it to expand to.

its normal shape. In expanding water will be drawn into the bulb. It may be filled in this manner to the desired extent. When filled the ball valve prevents flow of water out through the neck of the bulb when held approximately vertical. Sleeve 28 is then screwed down over nipple 27 to attach the bulb to the flatiron body as shown in Fig. 2. When attached, post 32 unseats ball valve 31 to permit flow of water from the bulb to the steam chamber. At this time, as pointed out above, air vent 33 faces forward toward the front of the flatiron so that when the flatiron is upended on its heel rest water will not leak out through the vent.

The flatiron may be used for dry ironing with the bulb detached from it; or with the bulb attached providing there is no water in the bulb.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modification of the invention wherein the bulb 35 which forms the water reservoir instead of being formed from flexible material. is formed from non-flexible material such as a suitable metal, the top wall 36 of the bulb being provided with a filling opening closed by a removable plug 37. In this figure, 38 indicates the outer end of the water supply pipe (corresponding to pipe end 22 of Figs. 1 to 3). In its outer end is fixed a nipple 39 having a metering orifice 40, an inwardly tapered shoulder 41, and a projecting end 42 which corresponds in function to tubular post 32 of Figs. 1 to 3. The lower end of bulb 35 is in the form of a sleeve or neck 43 threaded in its interior to adapt it to screw down over pipe end 38. The neck is shaped to provide a tapered surface which seats on tapered shoulder 41 when the bulb is screwed onto the pipe end, the engaging surfaces serving to form a seal to prevent leakage of water and also a stop to insure that air vent 44, corresponding to air vent 33 of Figs. 1 to 3, faces toward the front of the flatiron when the bulb is screwed down onto the pipe end. At its inner end sleeve 43 is shaped to provide a valve seat against which a ball valve 45 seats to seal the passage through sleeve 43 when it is not screwed onto pipe end 38. The ball valve is unseated as shown in Fig. 4 when the bulb is screwed down onto pipe end 38. The water reservoir of Fig. 4 is used for steam ironing in the same way as is bulb 23, the only significant'ditference being that it is filled through the filling opening in its top wall; and it can, if desired, be filled without removing it from pipe end 38. Since the reservoir of Fig. 4 is fillable through the opening in its top wall, the bulb may, if desired, be permanently attached to the pipe end 38. Also if the bulb in the form of invention shown in Figs. 1-3 were provided with a filling opening similar to that in Fig'. 4, the bulb could be permanently attached, if desired, to the pipe 20.

When the invention is embodied in a travel flatiron as shown in the drawing, the travel flatiron may be compacted for packing by folding the handle down onto the top wall of the flatiron body and placing the detached bulb alongside the handle.

By the invention, simple, compact means is provided for supplying water to a steam flatiron which is easy to use, which can be manufactured at low cost, and which does not interfere with use of the flatiron as a dry iron.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Lettters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an electric flatiron, a soleplate, a cover fastened over the soleplate, a handle carried by the cover, the rear end of the handle and the rear end of the cover being shaped to provide points of support which form a heel rest upon which the flatiron may be upended, walls which define a steam chamber within the flatiron, a water supply member having its inner end connected to the steam chamber and its outer end positioned at the surface of said cover at one side of the handle and forward of the rear end of the cover, a water reservoir, detachable coupling means connecting the reservoir to the outer end of the said member, said coupling means having walls which define a metering orifice in the flow path for water from the reservoir to the steam chamber, the outer end of said member being spaced from the rear end of the cover a distance such that the reservoir does not extend beyond the end points which form the heel rest, said reservoir having side and top walls defin ing a top edge, an air vent formed through said top edge and toward the front end of the flatiron, whereby water will not leak through the vent when the flatiron is upended on its heel rest, and said detachable coupling means including stop means which serve to position the reservoir with respect to the flatiron with the air vent directed toward the front end of the flatiron when the reservoir is connected tothe outer end of said member.

2. In an electric flatiron having a soleplate and a cover, walls which define a steam chamber within the flatiron and ports in the soleplate to which steam is supplied'from the steam chamber, means for supplying water to the steam chamber comprising a water supply member having its inner end connected to the steam chamber and its outer end extending through said cover and positioned at the surface of said cover, a flexible and self-supporting water reservoir adapted to be filled by manual collapse and release thereof, detachable coupling means connecting the reservoir to the outer end of said water pipe, said coupling having walls which define a metering orifice in the flow path for water from the reservoir to the steam chamber, a ball and seat forming a valve in the reservoir controlling flow of water from said reservoir, and means forming a part of said coupling for unseating said ball of said valve when the reservoir is connected to said member.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 991,568 Walter May 9, 1911 1,241,352 Doering et a1. Sept. 25, 1917 2,237,381 Wallace Apr. 8, 1941 2,284,411 Fielding May 26, 1942 2,530,672 Weiland Nov. 21, 1950 2,550,825 Kolodie May 1, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 509,374 Great Britain July 14, 1939